Good morning lovelies,
What is perspective? Have you thought about it?
According to Dictionary.com, perspective is: "the state of one's ideas, the facts known to one, etc., in having a meaningful interrelationship." Alright, there are two words in that definition I'd like to look at: the words one and meaningful.
The word one, here, is referring to one person. This makes the word "perspective" a personal word. Perspective is unique to you and it's unique to me. Your perspective will not ever be the same as another person's perspective. You can agree with another person on a general perspective (for example, you and your best friend both believe very strongly that a best friend should be given the right to eat the food in your fridge), but your individual perspectives as to why that's appropriate won't ever be exactly the same. Why is that?
You, as a person, are a collection of the experiences you've had. Your beliefs, disbeliefs, fears, hopes and quirks all stem from the life you have lived up to this point right now. The next word is meaningful, which literally means full of meaning. Whether intentional or not, you have created meaning for everything that has happened to you. We very rarely accept, "It just happened," as an answer. And even when that is our answer, that's the meaning we have created for the event. When we make memories or learn, we have to put meaning behind words, actions, images or feelings. This is just how life works; it's not a bad thing! You have to make meaning with things to understand them.
Your perspective is personal and it's formed by what you've created meaning with. So why on Earth am I telling you this?
When we study God's word, we don't have the full story. We don't have God's full perspective. Please don't misunderstand me; the Bible is God's word and it is perfect in its own right. However, we don't have all of the details. Ecclesiastes tells us, "..I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out" (Ecclesiastes 9:17). I can guarantee that we would not fully understand if the entirety of God's perspective were written out. To write out the entire history of what God has done, how and why he did it or what exactly he thinks about different things we would probably need every single piece of paper that ever has been or will be made. That still wouldn't be enough! And then we have the problem that written words can not express everything. All they can do is try to explain in ways we humans can understand.
So while what we do have is perfect, it simply is not the entire story. And what we do have is a big collection of words. If each person has created different meanings for words, our understandings of the same words will be different. You may have seen this illustration before but stick with me.
Cat.
When you read the word "cat," you may think of your pet cat. Suzy may think of the little tiger cub she saw at the zoo, but Bobby would think of the mother tiger he saw while at the zoo with Suzy. I could think of myself because people call me "Kat," or Jack could think of the angry cat meme he sees all over the internet.
Do you understand my point? No matter how general or specific the word is, we have all created different meanings for every word. Sure there are specific definitions. But that does not remove the fact we have different meanings. This is not a matter of right and wrong. This is a matter of us each being given different life experiences.
When we get into disagreements and debates with people, it becomes easy to state a fact and expect that other person is going to automatically agree with us because we've given them fact. But if perspective is built on individual meaning, the conclusion that fact leads you to may not be the same conclusion the other person is lead to. We must remember when we talk to people that things are not as simple as a word on a page. It is possible (and, I believe, necessary) to understand someone's perspective, to examine what they're saying from an unbiased standpoint, and still disagree. Perspective can be changed; but first, the perspective has to be understood. I have to know what my perspective is before I can change the way I see a situation; I also have to know what Suzy's perspective is before I can show her the bigger picture.
I pray that I remember my brother is a different person whenever I must approach him about something we disagree on. I pray I learn to seek my sister's perspective so I know how to respectfully guide her to a better relationship with God. I pray my perspective always reflects the way God's perspective might. Lastly, I pray we all start working on our hearts so that we grow in the likeness of our Savior each and every day.
I love you dear sisters,
Kat
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
The Book Behind the Cover -Mia
Hi friends!
I’m sure you’ve all heard the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” before, right? I know I’ve heard it my whole life. Have you ever wondered why people say that so much?
I think I know why. Now, I may be totally wrong, but I think it’s because that phrase is a really hard one to live by. First impressions of people give us the only information we’ve got to go on for a person until we get to know them better, and until then, the first impression gives us our solid image of that person. But, as this old saying warns, the first impression might not give you an accurate image of the person.
First impressions can be good, they can be bad, they can be spot on, or they can be deceiving. It’s really a toss-up; until you really get to know someone, there’s no telling. My guess is that’s why the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” came about. In John 7:24, even Jesus warns us, “Do not judge by appearances…” It’s simple to go wrong when just looking at the outside, or how one may present himself initially.
Now, this misinterpretation can be completely harmless. The differences you discover may be completely trivial… Or they may be very important. Especially if they concern matters of the Bible.
For example, ladies, have you ever had an acquaintance before who, the more time you spend around them, realize they weren’t exactly the Christian you thought they were when you first met? I know I have, and it’s really a very eye-opening, frightening experience, to be honest. If you aren’t careful, having that kind of experience can really rattle your faith- trust me, I know firsthand. Jesus knows this as well, and warned his disciples (and by extent, us as well) to “beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” in Matthew 7:15. Of course, we aren’t specifically talking about false prophets, here. But can’t this verse be true of certain people as well?
In the next verse, he continues to say “You will recognize them by their fruits.” “Fruits” here means works or actions: Jesus is essentially saying to wait and see what their doings say about them before making an assessment of their character based on first impression alone.
There are bad people out there, sisters, but I don’t want to discourage you in any way from meeting new people. In fact, that is a must for Christians- how else will we spread the Word of God?
And after all, this “first impressions are sometimes only skin deep” thing goes the other way as well. One may make a truly awful first impression and be a wonderful person in reality. It’s always best to at least give someone a chance- they might prove their first impression was accurate, or they might turn out to be a great potential friend. Their reluctance to talk to you may just be shyness. Their frown may have just been caused by a bad day that had nothing to do with you personally. You never really know what’s going on in their life when you first meet them.
Even when someone makes a decent first impression, there is still so much more to that person than you know. As Paul said in Hebrews 13:2, “some have entertained angels unawares.” I don’t pretend to know if this is meant to be taken literally or not, but as Jesus Himself said in Matthew 25:40, “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” Better to be safe than sorry, right? People deserve the benefit of the doubt before judgment.
I suppose I said all of this to say what was summed up quite well in those seven words: “don’t judge a book by its cover.” As we live our daily lives, ladies, let’s remember the importance of not simply taking things- and people- at face value.
Mia
Monday, November 10, 2014
More than Fabric -Kat
Hello ladies,
I hope you are all enjoying your week; I know this week will be pretty busy for me!
If you were asked what devo topic you've heard more than any other, what would your answer be? I know mine..
I can't even tell you how many devo talks I have sat through about modesty. I'll go out on a limb and say it's probably been at least three talks a year since I was in middle school. The issue of modesty is one I think has been harped on to the point it no longer has an effect on many of us girls. When we hear something enough, it stops pricking our hearts; our minds stop storing it because it's become "excess information."
Fashion trends, as we have all noticed, have walked farther and farther down the "Show As Much Skin As Possible" road. I don't believe that's appropriate. However, if I can be honest, I don't think there's a set standard we're supposed to be living by. I've been told, "To the knee." "Three inches from the knee." "Straps must be two and a half inches thick." "Don't show your back." etc.
Where, exactly, have those guidelines come from? I know it's been said that there's a basis in the Old Testament for these garment specifications. While there are specifications, I don't think they apply here. God did clothe Adam and Eve after they tried to cover themselves up with leaves (Genesis 3). The clothing He made did, in fact, cover up more skin than the leaves would have. However, can't we agree that leaves do not function as clothing? In the sermon on the mount, Jesus told the people not to worry about being clothed because God would provide for them (Matthew 6). Adam and Eve did their best, but they had not made clothing for themselves; they tried to cover up but they couldn't provide for themselves so God provided for them.
Now, I know we're not all Adam and Eve. We have clothing available. But bear with me. If you remember last week's post, entitled "A Heart Problem," I'm trying to get to the why we do things, rather than the standards for the things we do.
1 Timothy 2:9-10 reads as follows: “likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness- with good works" (ESV). Peter is talking in this passage about men's and women's roles within the church, and this is what he has to say about women.
First, Peter says we should adorn ourselves in respectable apparel. In case it needs clarifying, "respectable" means worthy of merit, or regarded by society as something good. More literally, worthy of respect. In our society, there is nothing wrong with showing your ankles off to the world. (I'm tempted to laugh when using that illustration, but there were actually times in history when that would have been forbidden.) I believe it is safe to say we have come to a point in history where knees are not distracting to our peers. There are certain standards that should have been held at one point, but we have safely moved past.
However.
(My favorite word again!)
Society has shifted our standards a little bit, however, let's also consider that our society is run much more by sex and sexual attraction than it has been in the past. Yes, it is more socially acceptable to wear cut off shorts, low-cut tops or bikinis. But it's also more socially acceptable to objectify others or be objectified ourselves. Truthfully, as those things have become more socially acceptable, porn has become much more readily available. In a day and age where rapes and molestations seem to be happening more and more frequently, why are we fighting so hard for the "right" to wear revealing clothing? Why do women complain so much about being objectified, but will clothe themselves as if they were objects for beholding at a glance? To dress respectably, we should each see ourselves as more than a "feast for the eyes." We shouldn't simply fit in with society; we should dress to respect not only our brothers (You've heard the Romans 14:13 argument about not being a stumbling block, or 1 Thessalonians 4 on controlling your body in issues of lust) but to respect ourselves, too.
The word: "modest" has its own definition, believe it or not. As in, "modest" does not simply refer to wearing clothes that cover the right amount of skin. The word modest can be compared to "moderate" or "unassuming." Dressing modestly doesn't refer to covering skin, it actually refers to dressing in a way that does not bring attention to oneself. As Christians, our purpose on Earth should be to bring glory to God our Father; what we wear should bring more glory to God than it brings to ourselves. Paul tells us to "do all to the glory of God," (1 Corinthians 10:31) and I'm willing to say that includes the way we dress. Do our made-up faces, our over-the-top beautiful dresses, or our bright patterned--whatevers really bring glory to God? Sure, in our hearts we may use those things as means to glorify Him. But to those who look at us, they see what we wear and give that glory to us. We get compliments on that particular outfit so we wear it again. We should publicly glorify God so that others see us and recognize our glory is not given to ourselves. That's not to say we are to be showy, but as Christians we are the only example some people will ever have of a follower of Christ and child of God. Don't we want them to see that glory belongs to our God?
Self-control is one thing we may not think about, but man is that a tough characteristic to come by. Here's the thing, ladies. Each one of us likes to look good. We want to be admired for the way we look. We want to be told we're pretty, we want to catch boys' attentions, and we really want to like the way we look. But self-control dictates we step back from that need to compensate insecurities and realize that our insecurities can't be filled with these temporary things. We should recognize that just because we can dress a certain way, doesn't mean we should (You can jump back to 1 Corinthians 10 here, if you'd like to. Verses 23-30, possibly?). We should feel pretty, catch boys' attentions, and like the way we look because we've been made, individually, by God. We are unique, we have personalities of our own, and we can do so much good for other people. We should yearn to be noticed for our actions, for our thoughts and for our love long before we're ever noticed for our looks. Is that not what Peter is getting at in verse 10 of 1 Timothy 2? ("but with what is proper for women who profess godliness- with good works").
"Gold, pearls, and expensive clothing" are kind of a weak point for us, aren't they? But if we sat down in our closets and tallied up how much money we spent on our clothing, would that change our minds? I already talked about modesty, but consider this point from a monetary standpoint. Do we really need several hundred dollars' worth of clothes and accessories? The early Christians were often described as pooling together all their resources to ensure that all people in the community's needs were met. We hoard our clothing, rarely giving to those in need and when we happen to give to those in need we usually give them the least of what we have. Having those expensive things draws a distinction between you and everyone else, and that shouldn't be our goal.
Can you see how big of a heart problem this modesty issue is?
This passage tells me two things: first, the standards for what we wear aren't quite as important as many of us have been lead to believe they are; second, what we wear is more important than what many of us have been lead to believe it is. As I've been trying to hit home, our modesty is not about a checklist. We shouldn't be pulling our rulers out to check the length of our skirts. We should, instead, be testing our hearts to see why we're wearing the clothes we choose to wear. What does wearing this item of clothing do? When we're honest, clothing is made for one purpose: to cover up our bodies. When we start tying our sense of self into what we wear, it becomes very easy for our hearts to fall in the wrong place. We easily stop glorifying God and start glorifying ourselves. Why be modest? Why wear the clothes you do?
Girls, I don't expect anyone to be perfect. This is a topic harped on because it's one we all deal with every single day. I just want for each and every one of you to consider why this matters. Why do you, personally, dress the way you do? What is the reasoning behind it?
When you start answering why questions, you can start fixing heart problems too.
I love you dearly, ladies! May God bless and keep you this week!
Kat
"Do not let your adorning be external- the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear- but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious" 1 Peter 3:3-4 (ESV).
I hope you are all enjoying your week; I know this week will be pretty busy for me!
If you were asked what devo topic you've heard more than any other, what would your answer be? I know mine..
I can't even tell you how many devo talks I have sat through about modesty. I'll go out on a limb and say it's probably been at least three talks a year since I was in middle school. The issue of modesty is one I think has been harped on to the point it no longer has an effect on many of us girls. When we hear something enough, it stops pricking our hearts; our minds stop storing it because it's become "excess information."
Fashion trends, as we have all noticed, have walked farther and farther down the "Show As Much Skin As Possible" road. I don't believe that's appropriate. However, if I can be honest, I don't think there's a set standard we're supposed to be living by. I've been told, "To the knee." "Three inches from the knee." "Straps must be two and a half inches thick." "Don't show your back." etc.
Where, exactly, have those guidelines come from? I know it's been said that there's a basis in the Old Testament for these garment specifications. While there are specifications, I don't think they apply here. God did clothe Adam and Eve after they tried to cover themselves up with leaves (Genesis 3). The clothing He made did, in fact, cover up more skin than the leaves would have. However, can't we agree that leaves do not function as clothing? In the sermon on the mount, Jesus told the people not to worry about being clothed because God would provide for them (Matthew 6). Adam and Eve did their best, but they had not made clothing for themselves; they tried to cover up but they couldn't provide for themselves so God provided for them.
Now, I know we're not all Adam and Eve. We have clothing available. But bear with me. If you remember last week's post, entitled "A Heart Problem," I'm trying to get to the why we do things, rather than the standards for the things we do.
1 Timothy 2:9-10 reads as follows: “likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness- with good works" (ESV). Peter is talking in this passage about men's and women's roles within the church, and this is what he has to say about women.
First, Peter says we should adorn ourselves in respectable apparel. In case it needs clarifying, "respectable" means worthy of merit, or regarded by society as something good. More literally, worthy of respect. In our society, there is nothing wrong with showing your ankles off to the world. (I'm tempted to laugh when using that illustration, but there were actually times in history when that would have been forbidden.) I believe it is safe to say we have come to a point in history where knees are not distracting to our peers. There are certain standards that should have been held at one point, but we have safely moved past.
However.
(My favorite word again!)
Society has shifted our standards a little bit, however, let's also consider that our society is run much more by sex and sexual attraction than it has been in the past. Yes, it is more socially acceptable to wear cut off shorts, low-cut tops or bikinis. But it's also more socially acceptable to objectify others or be objectified ourselves. Truthfully, as those things have become more socially acceptable, porn has become much more readily available. In a day and age where rapes and molestations seem to be happening more and more frequently, why are we fighting so hard for the "right" to wear revealing clothing? Why do women complain so much about being objectified, but will clothe themselves as if they were objects for beholding at a glance? To dress respectably, we should each see ourselves as more than a "feast for the eyes." We shouldn't simply fit in with society; we should dress to respect not only our brothers (You've heard the Romans 14:13 argument about not being a stumbling block, or 1 Thessalonians 4 on controlling your body in issues of lust) but to respect ourselves, too.
The word: "modest" has its own definition, believe it or not. As in, "modest" does not simply refer to wearing clothes that cover the right amount of skin. The word modest can be compared to "moderate" or "unassuming." Dressing modestly doesn't refer to covering skin, it actually refers to dressing in a way that does not bring attention to oneself. As Christians, our purpose on Earth should be to bring glory to God our Father; what we wear should bring more glory to God than it brings to ourselves. Paul tells us to "do all to the glory of God," (1 Corinthians 10:31) and I'm willing to say that includes the way we dress. Do our made-up faces, our over-the-top beautiful dresses, or our bright patterned--whatevers really bring glory to God? Sure, in our hearts we may use those things as means to glorify Him. But to those who look at us, they see what we wear and give that glory to us. We get compliments on that particular outfit so we wear it again. We should publicly glorify God so that others see us and recognize our glory is not given to ourselves. That's not to say we are to be showy, but as Christians we are the only example some people will ever have of a follower of Christ and child of God. Don't we want them to see that glory belongs to our God?
Self-control is one thing we may not think about, but man is that a tough characteristic to come by. Here's the thing, ladies. Each one of us likes to look good. We want to be admired for the way we look. We want to be told we're pretty, we want to catch boys' attentions, and we really want to like the way we look. But self-control dictates we step back from that need to compensate insecurities and realize that our insecurities can't be filled with these temporary things. We should recognize that just because we can dress a certain way, doesn't mean we should (You can jump back to 1 Corinthians 10 here, if you'd like to. Verses 23-30, possibly?). We should feel pretty, catch boys' attentions, and like the way we look because we've been made, individually, by God. We are unique, we have personalities of our own, and we can do so much good for other people. We should yearn to be noticed for our actions, for our thoughts and for our love long before we're ever noticed for our looks. Is that not what Peter is getting at in verse 10 of 1 Timothy 2? ("but with what is proper for women who profess godliness- with good works").
"Gold, pearls, and expensive clothing" are kind of a weak point for us, aren't they? But if we sat down in our closets and tallied up how much money we spent on our clothing, would that change our minds? I already talked about modesty, but consider this point from a monetary standpoint. Do we really need several hundred dollars' worth of clothes and accessories? The early Christians were often described as pooling together all their resources to ensure that all people in the community's needs were met. We hoard our clothing, rarely giving to those in need and when we happen to give to those in need we usually give them the least of what we have. Having those expensive things draws a distinction between you and everyone else, and that shouldn't be our goal.
Can you see how big of a heart problem this modesty issue is?
This passage tells me two things: first, the standards for what we wear aren't quite as important as many of us have been lead to believe they are; second, what we wear is more important than what many of us have been lead to believe it is. As I've been trying to hit home, our modesty is not about a checklist. We shouldn't be pulling our rulers out to check the length of our skirts. We should, instead, be testing our hearts to see why we're wearing the clothes we choose to wear. What does wearing this item of clothing do? When we're honest, clothing is made for one purpose: to cover up our bodies. When we start tying our sense of self into what we wear, it becomes very easy for our hearts to fall in the wrong place. We easily stop glorifying God and start glorifying ourselves. Why be modest? Why wear the clothes you do?
Girls, I don't expect anyone to be perfect. This is a topic harped on because it's one we all deal with every single day. I just want for each and every one of you to consider why this matters. Why do you, personally, dress the way you do? What is the reasoning behind it?
When you start answering why questions, you can start fixing heart problems too.
I love you dearly, ladies! May God bless and keep you this week!
Kat
"Do not let your adorning be external- the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear- but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious" 1 Peter 3:3-4 (ESV).
Sunday, October 26, 2014
A Heart Problem -Kat
It's my favorite time of week again..... Blogging time!
Good morning ladies. I pray blessings on this week for you!
Many of you do not know that I'm a student at a private, Christian university. This post is in no way going to persuade or dissuade you against any such education; it does matter for context, though. Every single day I am surrounded by Christians and non-Christians alike. Chapel discussions, devotionals, Bible classes: these things and more happen every single day of the week for me. I have a tendency to look at most systems I'm in and notice things. I notice what is done well, but I also notice what isn't done well.
A lot of times, in my experience, I find that a lot of things aimed at teaching the Bible do that. Especially here on campus. We have a phenomenal team of teachers, preachers and students. It is super important that we're learning the Bible. I am learning more verses and history from the Bible than I ever have before and I absolutely love it.
What I find missing, though, is "heart" discussions. I hear a lot of sermons preach against doing certain things. I hear a lot of sermons preach for doing certain things. But I have heard very few sermons preaching the why. In student-led discussions, I hear a lot about what the church should or should not be doing, but I don't hear very much about what we should each change about ourselves.
I think a lot of us have a heart problem. Our minds work quite well, you see. Most of us are capable of discerning situations and knowing, mostly, what the correct thing to do is. We have a lot of our "answers" to different questions already memorized and ready for when someone asks us about our hot topic beliefs. We're like a jack in the box: we get wound up and wound up each time a sermon is taught on this belief and then one day, someone comes up and asks us about the topic and we spring on them with our defenses. We're so thankful we know the answer and won't look like an idiot.
I don't think the Israelites had much of a mind problem either. They knew all the answers. They knew who they needed to turn to and they always knew God was the one throwing circumstances at them. But their problems were heart problems.
The thing about rules is once you know them all, you can find a loop-hole. You can find a way around the system so that what you're doing isn't "necessarily" wrong. When we stop looking at rules and start looking at the way our heart should look, that is no longer a possibility. When the rule says, "Do not cuss," that's all you do; you don't cuss. You know what else you do? You find filler words. You say mean things. You get angry. You tear people down or make jokes that shouldn't be made. The thing is, the Bible doesn't specify "cussing" as the problem.
Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear" (ESV).
Matthew 12:36-37 "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (ESV).
These are both addressed to the heart; they give the why not just the what. Because this life is not about rules, it's about living. The Bible is not a rule book, it's more like a script. It's full of a lot more than "Do"s and "Do not"s.
Over the next few weeks I'll be looking at some of the things we see as rules and see how they could be addressed to the heart rather than to our actions.
I love you ladies. I have missed you so very much!
-Kat
"But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6:11-12 ESV
Good morning ladies. I pray blessings on this week for you!
Many of you do not know that I'm a student at a private, Christian university. This post is in no way going to persuade or dissuade you against any such education; it does matter for context, though. Every single day I am surrounded by Christians and non-Christians alike. Chapel discussions, devotionals, Bible classes: these things and more happen every single day of the week for me. I have a tendency to look at most systems I'm in and notice things. I notice what is done well, but I also notice what isn't done well.
A lot of times, in my experience, I find that a lot of things aimed at teaching the Bible do that. Especially here on campus. We have a phenomenal team of teachers, preachers and students. It is super important that we're learning the Bible. I am learning more verses and history from the Bible than I ever have before and I absolutely love it.
What I find missing, though, is "heart" discussions. I hear a lot of sermons preach against doing certain things. I hear a lot of sermons preach for doing certain things. But I have heard very few sermons preaching the why. In student-led discussions, I hear a lot about what the church should or should not be doing, but I don't hear very much about what we should each change about ourselves.
I think a lot of us have a heart problem. Our minds work quite well, you see. Most of us are capable of discerning situations and knowing, mostly, what the correct thing to do is. We have a lot of our "answers" to different questions already memorized and ready for when someone asks us about our hot topic beliefs. We're like a jack in the box: we get wound up and wound up each time a sermon is taught on this belief and then one day, someone comes up and asks us about the topic and we spring on them with our defenses. We're so thankful we know the answer and won't look like an idiot.
I don't think the Israelites had much of a mind problem either. They knew all the answers. They knew who they needed to turn to and they always knew God was the one throwing circumstances at them. But their problems were heart problems.
The thing about rules is once you know them all, you can find a loop-hole. You can find a way around the system so that what you're doing isn't "necessarily" wrong. When we stop looking at rules and start looking at the way our heart should look, that is no longer a possibility. When the rule says, "Do not cuss," that's all you do; you don't cuss. You know what else you do? You find filler words. You say mean things. You get angry. You tear people down or make jokes that shouldn't be made. The thing is, the Bible doesn't specify "cussing" as the problem.
Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear" (ESV).
Matthew 12:36-37 "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (ESV).
These are both addressed to the heart; they give the why not just the what. Because this life is not about rules, it's about living. The Bible is not a rule book, it's more like a script. It's full of a lot more than "Do"s and "Do not"s.
Over the next few weeks I'll be looking at some of the things we see as rules and see how they could be addressed to the heart rather than to our actions.
I love you ladies. I have missed you so very much!
-Kat
"But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6:11-12 ESV
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Firm Foundations -Kat
Hello ladies!
I have missed you all so very much. The hectic life of a college student is making me feel like a sailor without her sea legs. There hasn't been a whole lot of solid ground to cling to since moving to this new town a little over a month ago.
A few weeks ago, I had a particularly rough week. You know those weeks that seem to be full of bad news and punches to the gut? Yeah, it was one of those.. I felt as though the ground had broken up into little tiny pieces and while my feet were standing on all those pieces, I was sliding around looking for something to hold on to.
One night, I felt super alone. I was about to break down and cry. I don't cry very often, but this night I was on the verge of a hurricane of tears. I just felt lost. I felt conflicted, alone and even a little scared. I kept thinking to myself, "What was I thinking coming to school? I'm not ready for this. I don't know anyone, nobody wants to be my friend and I just don't think this is worth my time." But worst of all was this thought: "I don't want to be here anymore." That thought bounced around in my head for days and I couldn't shake this feeling of insufficiency. I wasn't capable of this, I wasn't able to understand people, I wasn't able to talk to people, I couldn't do any good...
I can't speak for the guys here, but us ladies get really wrapped up in our problems. When we're upset, it feels to us like the entire world is crashing down around us and our shoulders aren't sufficient enough to hold it all.
The truth is: we're not. We weren't designed to carry all of our burdens alone (and neither were men!). We were designed to need each other, and more importantly we were designed to need God.
"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2)
Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:30)
"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore." (Psalm 121)
It is hard getting to that rock bottom point, feeling like all you can see around you is insurmountable trials and mountains too high to see over. But it is not until we get to that point that we can learn just how desperately we need God. I need God every single day. Not just on Sundays or Wednesdays or bad days. I need Him now and I will need Him for the rest of my life. I pray today that you all come to that realization as well. I love you dearest sisters. Depend on each other and depend on God a little bit more today than you did yesterday.
God bless,
Kat
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him." Psalm 28:7
**All verses in this post come from the English Standard Version (ESV)**
I have missed you all so very much. The hectic life of a college student is making me feel like a sailor without her sea legs. There hasn't been a whole lot of solid ground to cling to since moving to this new town a little over a month ago.
A few weeks ago, I had a particularly rough week. You know those weeks that seem to be full of bad news and punches to the gut? Yeah, it was one of those.. I felt as though the ground had broken up into little tiny pieces and while my feet were standing on all those pieces, I was sliding around looking for something to hold on to.
One night, I felt super alone. I was about to break down and cry. I don't cry very often, but this night I was on the verge of a hurricane of tears. I just felt lost. I felt conflicted, alone and even a little scared. I kept thinking to myself, "What was I thinking coming to school? I'm not ready for this. I don't know anyone, nobody wants to be my friend and I just don't think this is worth my time." But worst of all was this thought: "I don't want to be here anymore." That thought bounced around in my head for days and I couldn't shake this feeling of insufficiency. I wasn't capable of this, I wasn't able to understand people, I wasn't able to talk to people, I couldn't do any good...
I can't speak for the guys here, but us ladies get really wrapped up in our problems. When we're upset, it feels to us like the entire world is crashing down around us and our shoulders aren't sufficient enough to hold it all.
The truth is: we're not. We weren't designed to carry all of our burdens alone (and neither were men!). We were designed to need each other, and more importantly we were designed to need God.
"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2)
Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:30)
"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore." (Psalm 121)
It is hard getting to that rock bottom point, feeling like all you can see around you is insurmountable trials and mountains too high to see over. But it is not until we get to that point that we can learn just how desperately we need God. I need God every single day. Not just on Sundays or Wednesdays or bad days. I need Him now and I will need Him for the rest of my life. I pray today that you all come to that realization as well. I love you dearest sisters. Depend on each other and depend on God a little bit more today than you did yesterday.
God bless,
Kat
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him." Psalm 28:7
**All verses in this post come from the English Standard Version (ESV)**
Monday, August 11, 2014
Lessons From A Happy Camper -Mia
Hi friends!
Recently, I’ve had the wonderful experience of taking part of a camp at a Christian university. There were many inspiring classes and devotionals, and let me tell you- the Christian fellowship there was absolutely refreshing! So many Christians in one place… It was very encouraging (and you all know I’m all about the encouragement!). I met several strong Christians and was able to look up to some godly examples, and I think we all grew a lot in our faith. I know I learned several important things- I learned much about God and His holiness, but I also learned a lot about myself.
For one, I learned that I have a very hard time saying one very simple little word: “no.” This was a church camp, and thankfully, I came in no contact with temptation to do anything bad, such as drugs or alcohol or anything- I’m not talking about any of that. I’m simply talking about when my friends asked me to do something with them or go somewhere with them or for a favor. And most of the time, it doesn’t really matter- these are small things, and it’s all harmless. But there is a danger of being stretched too thin, sisters, and that’s precisely the situation I found myself in towards the end of the week. I’ll admit it- I really made a mess of things.
I have a feeling I’m not the only one struggling with this issue, friends. Sometimes, we just forget that it’s really okay to just say no- forgetting we have that privilege is very easy to do. But we must remember that we do have a choice- we have other options, sisters! Sometimes, the people we declined will be disappointed, but it’s not the end of the world if we have to say no, and sometimes, we really do have to say no. We can’t do everything, ladies.
I know that’s much easier to say than do. I’ve recently experienced it. The friends I confided in about this certain issue kept telling me “you can say no, you know?” and talking with them was a huge relief. But I realized that when I actually had to go through with it, it was easy to panic and just go along with things. It took an awful lot of psyching myself up to actually stick to my decisions, and I honestly couldn’t have done it without the moral support and advice of my friends. One of my friends told me I should just take a walk, think things over, come to a decision, and not let anyone else convince me otherwise; and that was literally the best advice I received. We need to do that sometimes, sisters- we need to take a break from things to think. That’s the only way we can think clearly. I took her up on that suggestion, and I think it was the only way I got through that day.
But that’s also not the only thing I learned this past week. I also learned it’s best not to judge too quickly. I’m guilty of this often, sisters. Sometimes, upon seeing someone- I haven’t even met them yet!- my mind automatically pegs them as “one of those types.”
People tend to make judgment- especially what the Bible says about it- a controversial subject. No one wants to be judged, and in defense, some will pull out Matthew 7:1, which says “Judge not, that you be not judged.” (ESV) Yes, the Bible says this, but you’ll find that this verse is often pulled out of context. This passage is actually talking about not being hypocritical- taking care of your own sin problems before trying to help out a brother or sister with their issues. In fact, later in that very chapter, Jesus goes on to say “You will recognize them by their fruits” in verse 16. This implies that we actually are supposed to “judge”- and I use this term loosely- people, BUT we are supposed to judge by ACTIONS, not by appearances.
But I’m not talking about judging people for their sin- most of the time, I’m just passing them off as an athletic person, or a prissy girl, or a smart kid, or some stereotype along that line. I’m not condemning the person in any way, or even saying the way they come across is bad, but I am forming an image of them in my mind, and I’ve found that more often than not, I’m wrong about them.
And, actually, this does go back to judging by actions instead of appearances. Appearances are often deceiving- I definitely learned that during camp. People are always deeper than the stereotype they’re placed into, even if they don’t know it themselves. There are those people, even once you get to know them, that actually do seem to fit the stereotype perfectly, but, as the old saying goes, until you’ve “walked a mile in their shoes,” then you really can’t “peg” them as a certain type of person accurately. And trust me- it’s pretty shocking when you realize you’ve been wrong about them all along.
Anyway, during that week, I learned one last vital thing, summed up in five simple words. You can make a difference. Yeah- I know we’ve all heard it before. We’ve all seen it before. If you’ve ever been a part of a huge gathering of Christians in one place… it’s spectacular! In a crowd like that, it’s easy to believe you could just march outside and change the world. If we have unity as children of God, we’re unstoppable! But… that’s not what I’m talking about here.
You can make a difference. Alone. You don’t have to have a huge group, or a following, or a network of people to make a difference. Those things help, sure, but they aren’t necessary. Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes, sisters, I feel lost in the crowd. I’ll admit- most of my friends are Christians. I’m constantly surrounded by strong examples and wonderful people willing to give it all for God- which, don’t get me wrong, is great! But it’s easy to get so overwhelmed and forget that we can make a difference on our own too.
“Making a difference” can be interpreted so many different ways, sisters. Sure, ending world hunger would definitely be making a HUGE difference! But I think we forget sometimes that if we make someone smile or do someone a favor or do anything to show God’s love in someone’s life, we’re making a difference in that person’s life. It’s not a spectacular show or a huge change, but I’m willing to bet that it means as much to that person as ending world hunger would.
I’m not saying that we can’t do anything spectacular or huge by ourselves- hey, the vote of one random guy made Texas a state (I won’t go into it here, but that’s an amazing story if you ever want to look it up- it’s true, too)! But I am saying that the little things definitely count! Sometimes in church, we’ll sing the song “Brighten the Corner Where You Are.” That’s doable for anyone, ladies! It’s easy! And it’s making a difference.
I hope you all have a wonderful next week!
Mia
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Character Sketches with Kat: Joseph
I would venture to say most of us know the story of Jesus' birth. Christian or not, if you lived in a developed country the chances are in your favor that you've at least heard the story of the virgin Mary who gave birth to Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Mary was a woman very strong in her faith; we know this because she responded to God's call out of humility. She was probably afraid and she certainly didn't fully understand the reality of the situation she was being put in (how often do we really understand the weight of the decisions we make?) but she went for it anyways. She was, without a doubt, someone to learn from. (Read about Mary in Luke chapters 1 and 2)
But today, I want to look at another part of the story. Maybe it's just me, but I never really thought about Joseph much. I always knew he was betrothed to Mary before she conceived Jesus. I also knew that Joseph could have easily annulled their betrothal on grounds that Mary was pregnant and therefor "not a virgin." (if you read in Luke chapter 1, you'd know Mary was, in fact a virgin. However, people aren't impregnated as virgins every day so this would have been an easy misunderstanding) But I never really thought it all the way through.
You see, Joseph is not a main focus for most people. "What did he do?" You might ask; but if it's me you're asking, I'd argue Joseph was just as much of an example to us as Mary is.
I spent some time looking through Jesus' genealogy as it is listed in the beginning of Matthew and I stumbled across the name Boaz. If you remember the story of Ruth, Boaz is the man who took Ruth as his wife. Boaz did everything in his power to take care of this woman he witnessed working hard for the sake of her mother-in-law. There's no doubt that there was some sacrifice in the things Boaz did for Ruth; including his marriage to her. But he was happy to do it because he saw a woman who worked hard and he valued her and the work ethic she displayed.
I don't know if it was intended this way, but that is very similar to what I see Joseph did for Mary. Joseph was not going to publically annul his betrothal to Mary because, as Matthew says, he was "a righteous man..not wanting to disgrace her." Joseph knew that pointing Mary out in front of others for her sins was not the best way to handle the situation. Sometimes, I am tempted to "get even" with someone by telling everybody else what they did wrong. But is that really the attitude I should adopt? I don't think so.
That aside, there's also the example Joseph sets to follow God. In the end, Joseph didn't even secretly annul their betrothal. Once an angel of the Lord came to Joseph and told him not to leave Mary, Joseph didn't even consider the thought. Instead, Joseph took Mary in to take care of her and her child (Matthew 1:24). And during Jesus' early childhood, Joseph paid close attention to the words of God. When King Herod heard of Jesus, he was out for blood. God literally called to Joseph in the middle of the night to leave and Joseph got up and left, he didn't wait for morning or wait to look for a job first (Matthew 1:14). Joseph knew the only security he needed was God.
Joseph was righteous, humble and he trusted God to lead his life. Although Joseph may not be credited with a whole lot when we tell the story of Jesus' birth, he was a man worthy of giving credit to. Even "small characters" make an impact, so don't be afraid to be the small character in some stories.
I love you sisters!
Kat
Mary was a woman very strong in her faith; we know this because she responded to God's call out of humility. She was probably afraid and she certainly didn't fully understand the reality of the situation she was being put in (how often do we really understand the weight of the decisions we make?) but she went for it anyways. She was, without a doubt, someone to learn from. (Read about Mary in Luke chapters 1 and 2)
But today, I want to look at another part of the story. Maybe it's just me, but I never really thought about Joseph much. I always knew he was betrothed to Mary before she conceived Jesus. I also knew that Joseph could have easily annulled their betrothal on grounds that Mary was pregnant and therefor "not a virgin." (if you read in Luke chapter 1, you'd know Mary was, in fact a virgin. However, people aren't impregnated as virgins every day so this would have been an easy misunderstanding) But I never really thought it all the way through.
You see, Joseph is not a main focus for most people. "What did he do?" You might ask; but if it's me you're asking, I'd argue Joseph was just as much of an example to us as Mary is.
I spent some time looking through Jesus' genealogy as it is listed in the beginning of Matthew and I stumbled across the name Boaz. If you remember the story of Ruth, Boaz is the man who took Ruth as his wife. Boaz did everything in his power to take care of this woman he witnessed working hard for the sake of her mother-in-law. There's no doubt that there was some sacrifice in the things Boaz did for Ruth; including his marriage to her. But he was happy to do it because he saw a woman who worked hard and he valued her and the work ethic she displayed.
I don't know if it was intended this way, but that is very similar to what I see Joseph did for Mary. Joseph was not going to publically annul his betrothal to Mary because, as Matthew says, he was "a righteous man..not wanting to disgrace her." Joseph knew that pointing Mary out in front of others for her sins was not the best way to handle the situation. Sometimes, I am tempted to "get even" with someone by telling everybody else what they did wrong. But is that really the attitude I should adopt? I don't think so.
That aside, there's also the example Joseph sets to follow God. In the end, Joseph didn't even secretly annul their betrothal. Once an angel of the Lord came to Joseph and told him not to leave Mary, Joseph didn't even consider the thought. Instead, Joseph took Mary in to take care of her and her child (Matthew 1:24). And during Jesus' early childhood, Joseph paid close attention to the words of God. When King Herod heard of Jesus, he was out for blood. God literally called to Joseph in the middle of the night to leave and Joseph got up and left, he didn't wait for morning or wait to look for a job first (Matthew 1:14). Joseph knew the only security he needed was God.
Joseph was righteous, humble and he trusted God to lead his life. Although Joseph may not be credited with a whole lot when we tell the story of Jesus' birth, he was a man worthy of giving credit to. Even "small characters" make an impact, so don't be afraid to be the small character in some stories.
I love you sisters!
Kat
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Back to the Basics -Kat
I'm glad to see you all this week!
The generation I've grown up in boasts athletics. That may not exactly be "new," I haven't checked the demographics of athleticism, but I do know how my generation has treated it. Everybody is working towards a scholarship to play some sport at some school. They spend hours upon hours practicing, playing, and talking about their sport.
My only experience as an athlete was in my high school marching band. Think what you will about the sport, but the way we practiced was not any different than the way other athletes practiced and that's all that matters for this point I have to make. It has been drilled into me that the details matter. You have got to know your technique backwards and forwards or your entire set of movements will be thrown off. There's no getting around it. Sport teams practice to win, which means they don't take a practice lightly. You have to practice the way you'd play in a game.
Humans, by nature, run on familiarity. Some of us are more methodically or routinely oriented than others (I'm a bit in the extreme) but each and every one of us is wired to like familiarity in some form. That's why when it comes to the "Real Deal," you have to already be trained in the small things. If you already know how to kick the soccer ball, your body won't be trying to figure out what angle to kick it as you're trying to figure out who you're passing to. If you can play your scales, your fingers won't be trying to make the jump from a C to a D flat while you're remembering the 16th notes coming in 4 measures.
If we're all used to this idea that we fall back on our habits, why do we not often value the habits of reading our bibles? Why don't we understand that having an open and honest prayer relationship with God serves to better our entire lives? So many of those athletes I know are Christians. And yet they find they are "too busy" to read their bibles or pray on a regular basis. Myself included! Sometimes, I just don't think I really need to work on my habit of daily reading. But you know what? If I don't work to make it a habit it will not become a habit. If I don't make the conscious effort to work on the little things, those little things won't be what I fall back on when I need to.
I hope you work on going back to the basics this week. Work with me to get back to studying your bible and praying.
I love you all!
Kat
"'For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.'" Luke 6:43-45
"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." Proverbs 4:23
"Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny." Anonymous (I've seen this quote with credit attributed to several different people, but I really couldn't tell you who said it first.)
The generation I've grown up in boasts athletics. That may not exactly be "new," I haven't checked the demographics of athleticism, but I do know how my generation has treated it. Everybody is working towards a scholarship to play some sport at some school. They spend hours upon hours practicing, playing, and talking about their sport.
My only experience as an athlete was in my high school marching band. Think what you will about the sport, but the way we practiced was not any different than the way other athletes practiced and that's all that matters for this point I have to make. It has been drilled into me that the details matter. You have got to know your technique backwards and forwards or your entire set of movements will be thrown off. There's no getting around it. Sport teams practice to win, which means they don't take a practice lightly. You have to practice the way you'd play in a game.
Humans, by nature, run on familiarity. Some of us are more methodically or routinely oriented than others (I'm a bit in the extreme) but each and every one of us is wired to like familiarity in some form. That's why when it comes to the "Real Deal," you have to already be trained in the small things. If you already know how to kick the soccer ball, your body won't be trying to figure out what angle to kick it as you're trying to figure out who you're passing to. If you can play your scales, your fingers won't be trying to make the jump from a C to a D flat while you're remembering the 16th notes coming in 4 measures.
If we're all used to this idea that we fall back on our habits, why do we not often value the habits of reading our bibles? Why don't we understand that having an open and honest prayer relationship with God serves to better our entire lives? So many of those athletes I know are Christians. And yet they find they are "too busy" to read their bibles or pray on a regular basis. Myself included! Sometimes, I just don't think I really need to work on my habit of daily reading. But you know what? If I don't work to make it a habit it will not become a habit. If I don't make the conscious effort to work on the little things, those little things won't be what I fall back on when I need to.
I hope you work on going back to the basics this week. Work with me to get back to studying your bible and praying.
I love you all!
Kat
"'For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.'" Luke 6:43-45
"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." Proverbs 4:23
"Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny." Anonymous (I've seen this quote with credit attributed to several different people, but I really couldn't tell you who said it first.)
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
A Servant's Heart -Kat
"The highest position we can have within the kingdom of God holds a simple title: Servant."
These words (only altered slightly so as to make more sense to you all out of the context of the sermon) hit me square in the forehead one morning during my preacher's sermon.
Of course, I had heard it before. Several times, even! Not in so many words, but the idea has been said to me so many times, I couldn't count. Jesus actually said this first: "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 18:14b). Or later Paul says in Romans 12:3 "..I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think." For someone like me, that's not a hard thing to take in. I have had the high title before. Though I got through it and was commended on my leadership skills, it is not a place I want to be in anytime soon. In fact, my favorite part about being a leader had nothing to do with the orders I gave out or the credit I was given for leading such a large group of people. My favorite part of leading was serving. I absolutely love to be behind the scenes, working my fingers to the bone and doing everything I can to bring the little details as close together as possible so that everything looks seamless. I can't get enough of that.
But.
I know you were waiting to hear that word. ;)
I love that job, however I don't think I even fully understood what it means to be a servant in the Lord's kingdom until a couple of weeks ago.
When I heard "servant," I thought of a man (or woman..) in a suit with silly penguin tails and holding a silver serving tray and standing silently in the corner until summoned. I may have thought of a waiter in a given restaurant as a servant to their customers; they juggle a lot of responsibility to make guests' experiences as nice as possible.
And then I went to camp. I would have loved to post about camp but something about that didn't feel right. I will say though, that camp this year was really eye opening. Our theme was Before His Throne and if I ever went to a camp where the theme meant something, this was it. The line that stuck with me was this: "You can not come before the throne of God and leave an unchanged person." Wow!
That's when I realized that the things I'd been wanting to fix, but hadn't fixed yet, were not getting fixed because I wasn't allowing myself to be changed by my experience before God's throne. I have since tried to change those things. Things like trusting God with my future, reading my Bible every single day, praying even more frequently than I thought would be "standard.."
I have since delved into my Bible and in the past two weeks alone, my entire view of things has changed. Including how I see being a servant. 1 and 2 Samuel is where I decided to start, and I'm glad I did because it's entirely applicable and it helped me to understand this point.
David started as a servant. Did you know the best leaders are also the best servers? David eventually came to be King. And many times, David and his servants were thrust into these difficult circumstances (much like we are faced with today). Each time, David turned to God and said (I'm paraphrasing here. Please, please read this for yourself!!) "I am your servant, I will do what you're telling me to do. This is hard, that is scary, I don't really know 'what's what' but I am your servant and I trust you." In another instance, a man who had literally become David's servant the day before picked his whole life up to follow David as he fled from his son Absalom. Observe: "Then the king said to Ittai the Gimmite, 'Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where?..' But Ittai answered the king, 'As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be'" (2 Samuel 15:18-22).
Mary had to have been scared to death when the angel of the Lord told her she'd conceive and give birth to a child. She was a virgin, she was young, and she stood to lose a lot if her integrity was seen as lost. "And Mary said, 'Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word'" (Luke 1:38)
Ruth had just lost her father-in-law, brother-in-law and husband. Naomi urged her to return home because she would have to find a way to take care of herself and there was no way she could promise to have the means to take care of her daughter-in-law as well. But Ruth stayed. She stayed knowing that Naomi could not promise to take care of her. Knowing that she'd have to move to another new place, one where she would be a foreigner. These famous words were spoken by Ruth: "'Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God'" (Ruth 1:16).
A servant is not a passive person waiting to be called on and told what to do. We don't sit in the corner in silence, nor do we always just 'do as we're told'. Servants trust. They act on integrity. They know what is right and they don't even think about hesitating to take up the challenges they're given.
This is the highest position we can take in the Lord's Kingdom.
Ladies, pull up your chairs at the servant's table and get ready for whatever is thrown your way. It will be a lot, but you will be rewarded.
Kat
"It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud." Proverbs 16:19
*All verses were taken from the English Standard Version*
These words (only altered slightly so as to make more sense to you all out of the context of the sermon) hit me square in the forehead one morning during my preacher's sermon.
Of course, I had heard it before. Several times, even! Not in so many words, but the idea has been said to me so many times, I couldn't count. Jesus actually said this first: "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 18:14b). Or later Paul says in Romans 12:3 "..I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think." For someone like me, that's not a hard thing to take in. I have had the high title before. Though I got through it and was commended on my leadership skills, it is not a place I want to be in anytime soon. In fact, my favorite part about being a leader had nothing to do with the orders I gave out or the credit I was given for leading such a large group of people. My favorite part of leading was serving. I absolutely love to be behind the scenes, working my fingers to the bone and doing everything I can to bring the little details as close together as possible so that everything looks seamless. I can't get enough of that.
But.
I know you were waiting to hear that word. ;)
I love that job, however I don't think I even fully understood what it means to be a servant in the Lord's kingdom until a couple of weeks ago.
When I heard "servant," I thought of a man (or woman..) in a suit with silly penguin tails and holding a silver serving tray and standing silently in the corner until summoned. I may have thought of a waiter in a given restaurant as a servant to their customers; they juggle a lot of responsibility to make guests' experiences as nice as possible.
And then I went to camp. I would have loved to post about camp but something about that didn't feel right. I will say though, that camp this year was really eye opening. Our theme was Before His Throne and if I ever went to a camp where the theme meant something, this was it. The line that stuck with me was this: "You can not come before the throne of God and leave an unchanged person." Wow!
That's when I realized that the things I'd been wanting to fix, but hadn't fixed yet, were not getting fixed because I wasn't allowing myself to be changed by my experience before God's throne. I have since tried to change those things. Things like trusting God with my future, reading my Bible every single day, praying even more frequently than I thought would be "standard.."
I have since delved into my Bible and in the past two weeks alone, my entire view of things has changed. Including how I see being a servant. 1 and 2 Samuel is where I decided to start, and I'm glad I did because it's entirely applicable and it helped me to understand this point.
David started as a servant. Did you know the best leaders are also the best servers? David eventually came to be King. And many times, David and his servants were thrust into these difficult circumstances (much like we are faced with today). Each time, David turned to God and said (I'm paraphrasing here. Please, please read this for yourself!!) "I am your servant, I will do what you're telling me to do. This is hard, that is scary, I don't really know 'what's what' but I am your servant and I trust you." In another instance, a man who had literally become David's servant the day before picked his whole life up to follow David as he fled from his son Absalom. Observe: "Then the king said to Ittai the Gimmite, 'Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where?..' But Ittai answered the king, 'As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be'" (2 Samuel 15:18-22).
Mary had to have been scared to death when the angel of the Lord told her she'd conceive and give birth to a child. She was a virgin, she was young, and she stood to lose a lot if her integrity was seen as lost. "And Mary said, 'Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word'" (Luke 1:38)
Ruth had just lost her father-in-law, brother-in-law and husband. Naomi urged her to return home because she would have to find a way to take care of herself and there was no way she could promise to have the means to take care of her daughter-in-law as well. But Ruth stayed. She stayed knowing that Naomi could not promise to take care of her. Knowing that she'd have to move to another new place, one where she would be a foreigner. These famous words were spoken by Ruth: "'Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God'" (Ruth 1:16).
A servant is not a passive person waiting to be called on and told what to do. We don't sit in the corner in silence, nor do we always just 'do as we're told'. Servants trust. They act on integrity. They know what is right and they don't even think about hesitating to take up the challenges they're given.
This is the highest position we can take in the Lord's Kingdom.
Ladies, pull up your chairs at the servant's table and get ready for whatever is thrown your way. It will be a lot, but you will be rewarded.
Kat
"It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud." Proverbs 16:19
*All verses were taken from the English Standard Version*
Monday, July 14, 2014
Elementary, My Dear! -Kat
Ladies, ladies, ladies
Can I be honest with you all for today? There is something about a best friend that I yearn for. You see, there are a lot of people out there who have great best friends. You may be one of those, and I honestly pray that if you aren't right now you will be one day. I, unfortunately, haven't always been one of those people. Even right now, I'm trying to understand how a best friend relationship works. I can count on two hands the number of best friends that I've had over the years and of those friends, only a couple have truly shown to be sincere best friends.
In the last six months alone: I have had to examine an unhealthy friendship with a best friend; I've had a best friend decide she didn't want to be friends anymore (and didn't want to tell me that, either..); I've had what I thought was a new best friend who apparently didn't feel as close to me as I did to him; and I've looked back through my childhood and found that "best friends" really made fun of me behind my back. "Best friends" wanted to put hurdles in my path because they didn't like where I was going.
Does that make it easier for you all to understand how much I long for a "Kirk and Spock" friendship? For a brotherhood like that of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson? Dr. House and James Wilson; Corey and Shawn; Dawson and Pacey.... Boy this list is unending.
These guys literally had each others' backs through everything. I mean, a couple of them put their lives in the hands of their best friends and trusted they were safe there. Would you guys believe me if I told you there was a friendship like this in the Bible? I can't tell you all how exciting this was to me when I learned of these two. (Side note: I realize there are more examples than this one, but this is the one I found and have since fallen in love with! I would enjoy reading all the other examples; I encourage you to drop me a comment with another example and where their story can be read. :) )
The post today will be a little more interactive than my posts usually are. For starters, you should open your Bible to the book of 1 Samuel and read chapter 18 verses 1 through 5. We're introduced here to David and Jonathan; the first thing I notice is how quickly the two were bound to each other as friends. They met, became friends, and quite literally bound themselves to each other (through a covenant which is kind of like saying a promise, agreement, or contract). This is more than a skin-deep matter. They are bound by the soul- you can't break that type of a bond you guys! Nothing could tear these two apart!
Moving right along with their story, you should skip down to 1 Samuel 19. Here we read just how good of friends David and Jonathan really were. Saul, Jonathan's father, was the king of Israel. For those of you who don't already know this, kings are powerful men. When a king tells you to do something, you have to do it; there is virtually no way out of it! So when Saul orders all of his servants and his son Jonathan to kill David, imagine what Jonathan was put through! His own father, and the king, was ordering him to kill his brother: his best friend, the guy he promised before God to be there for. What would you have done in that situation? For me, I hope I would do what Jonathan did.
Jonathan respected his father and did everything he could to diffuse the situation peaceably. He did what he could to save face of all three men: himself, his father and David. It works at first, but then Saul is overcome once again with an angry spirit and David is forced to talk to Jonathan about it. 1 Samuel 20 is the highlight of this story for me. This chronicles the exchange between Jonathan and David. We see that Jonathan can't imagine this evil coming from his father, but he also knows he must protect David at great costs. He wants to believe his father is still a noble and righteous man, but he knows that David is an honest man. So they come to an agreement. David looks to bring out an honest response from Saul while Jonathan looks to prove to David that all is well. The chess board has been set and all that is left is a game of quick wit. Much to Jonathan's surprise, David was right and Saul was out for blood.
Side note: Have you ever pushed your mom's or dad's buttons too far? I remember one time when I was younger I was bugging my mom (for who knows what reason) and I eventually bugged her to the point she said words to me I never thought I'd hear come out of her mouth. If that's happened to you, you know how much it hurts. It honestly scared me to silence! Imagine being told, "'You son (or daughter) of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.'" (1 Samuel 20:30b-31)
To my astonishment, Jonathan wasn't scared silent by this. Instead, he responded with confidence. He asked his father very plainly what David had done. Saul, being that he was overcome with this evil spirit didn't have an answer for that but rather he attempted to kill Jonathan. Wow... Talk about scary and hurtful!
Now, men today aren't very big on showing affection for one another. I have noticed more recently that many Christian men are better about this than those outside of the church but even with that being said, it doesn't seem to be very often that guys show affection to each other. Jonathan and David wept together. Let me say that again, they wept together. Jonathan didn't stand beside David awkwardly patting him on the back as he shed tears of grief. He didn't tell David to get off of him when he kissed him. They grieved together. They were still bound to each other. (See 1 Samuel 20:41-42.)
I don't cry very often, but I would like to know that if I were crying, my best friend would be right there with. me. Not beside me, not rubbing my back but feeling awkward to witness this, not distracted by his/her cell phone. I want to feel with my best friend. I want to be there with that person, just as I want them to be there with me.
Ladies: please, please, please take this lesson to heart. We people were made to have and share emotions. There is nothing "natural" about hiding our tears or our joys. We have to work with each other. Pray for each other this week; I will be praying for you!
With the love of the Lord,
Kat
Can I be honest with you all for today? There is something about a best friend that I yearn for. You see, there are a lot of people out there who have great best friends. You may be one of those, and I honestly pray that if you aren't right now you will be one day. I, unfortunately, haven't always been one of those people. Even right now, I'm trying to understand how a best friend relationship works. I can count on two hands the number of best friends that I've had over the years and of those friends, only a couple have truly shown to be sincere best friends.
In the last six months alone: I have had to examine an unhealthy friendship with a best friend; I've had a best friend decide she didn't want to be friends anymore (and didn't want to tell me that, either..); I've had what I thought was a new best friend who apparently didn't feel as close to me as I did to him; and I've looked back through my childhood and found that "best friends" really made fun of me behind my back. "Best friends" wanted to put hurdles in my path because they didn't like where I was going.
Does that make it easier for you all to understand how much I long for a "Kirk and Spock" friendship? For a brotherhood like that of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson? Dr. House and James Wilson; Corey and Shawn; Dawson and Pacey.... Boy this list is unending.
These guys literally had each others' backs through everything. I mean, a couple of them put their lives in the hands of their best friends and trusted they were safe there. Would you guys believe me if I told you there was a friendship like this in the Bible? I can't tell you all how exciting this was to me when I learned of these two. (Side note: I realize there are more examples than this one, but this is the one I found and have since fallen in love with! I would enjoy reading all the other examples; I encourage you to drop me a comment with another example and where their story can be read. :) )
The post today will be a little more interactive than my posts usually are. For starters, you should open your Bible to the book of 1 Samuel and read chapter 18 verses 1 through 5. We're introduced here to David and Jonathan; the first thing I notice is how quickly the two were bound to each other as friends. They met, became friends, and quite literally bound themselves to each other (through a covenant which is kind of like saying a promise, agreement, or contract). This is more than a skin-deep matter. They are bound by the soul- you can't break that type of a bond you guys! Nothing could tear these two apart!
Moving right along with their story, you should skip down to 1 Samuel 19. Here we read just how good of friends David and Jonathan really were. Saul, Jonathan's father, was the king of Israel. For those of you who don't already know this, kings are powerful men. When a king tells you to do something, you have to do it; there is virtually no way out of it! So when Saul orders all of his servants and his son Jonathan to kill David, imagine what Jonathan was put through! His own father, and the king, was ordering him to kill his brother: his best friend, the guy he promised before God to be there for. What would you have done in that situation? For me, I hope I would do what Jonathan did.
Jonathan respected his father and did everything he could to diffuse the situation peaceably. He did what he could to save face of all three men: himself, his father and David. It works at first, but then Saul is overcome once again with an angry spirit and David is forced to talk to Jonathan about it. 1 Samuel 20 is the highlight of this story for me. This chronicles the exchange between Jonathan and David. We see that Jonathan can't imagine this evil coming from his father, but he also knows he must protect David at great costs. He wants to believe his father is still a noble and righteous man, but he knows that David is an honest man. So they come to an agreement. David looks to bring out an honest response from Saul while Jonathan looks to prove to David that all is well. The chess board has been set and all that is left is a game of quick wit. Much to Jonathan's surprise, David was right and Saul was out for blood.
Side note: Have you ever pushed your mom's or dad's buttons too far? I remember one time when I was younger I was bugging my mom (for who knows what reason) and I eventually bugged her to the point she said words to me I never thought I'd hear come out of her mouth. If that's happened to you, you know how much it hurts. It honestly scared me to silence! Imagine being told, "'You son (or daughter) of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.'" (1 Samuel 20:30b-31)
To my astonishment, Jonathan wasn't scared silent by this. Instead, he responded with confidence. He asked his father very plainly what David had done. Saul, being that he was overcome with this evil spirit didn't have an answer for that but rather he attempted to kill Jonathan. Wow... Talk about scary and hurtful!
Now, men today aren't very big on showing affection for one another. I have noticed more recently that many Christian men are better about this than those outside of the church but even with that being said, it doesn't seem to be very often that guys show affection to each other. Jonathan and David wept together. Let me say that again, they wept together. Jonathan didn't stand beside David awkwardly patting him on the back as he shed tears of grief. He didn't tell David to get off of him when he kissed him. They grieved together. They were still bound to each other. (See 1 Samuel 20:41-42.)
I don't cry very often, but I would like to know that if I were crying, my best friend would be right there with. me. Not beside me, not rubbing my back but feeling awkward to witness this, not distracted by his/her cell phone. I want to feel with my best friend. I want to be there with that person, just as I want them to be there with me.
Ladies: please, please, please take this lesson to heart. We people were made to have and share emotions. There is nothing "natural" about hiding our tears or our joys. We have to work with each other. Pray for each other this week; I will be praying for you!
With the love of the Lord,
Kat
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Morals From the Movies -Mia
Hi friends!
Sisters, do you like watching movies? I love watching movies- it’s a great pass time, and frankly, it provides a nice way to wind down and calm down- it’s an escape from life. We all like watching movies- the movie theaters and Hollywood can attest to that!
Yeah- movies are great. You do have to be careful though: a lot of bad movies exist, and it can be difficult to wade through and find family friendly movies to watch. I’ve found that if you’re looking for a good family friendly movie, animated movies are usually the best bet. And most of them are actually pretty good! And if you look hard, there are actually some really good moral lessons that the animators work into the movie as well. Some of them are obvious, and others really obscure, and sometimes, the obscure ones are the best!
This past week, I watched an animated movie, and one character in particular caught my attention. She wasn’t even a main character- she was the main character’s best friend, which was, in fact, not a large role. But there was something about her that caught my attention.
No, she wasn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination. She played the role of the rich girl who got whatever she wanted. But that’s the thing- she didn’t act entitled. She didn’t act stuck up. She wasn’t stingy with her wealth- she was actually quite generous. Sure, she was a bit of an airhead, and she was a bit shallow, but then, at the end of the movie, she did something that made me really admire her.
You see, she was supposed to marry this certain man- she only really wanted to marry him for his social status (again, that’s not an overly becoming trait). But then she realized that her best friend and that man were in love with each other, and instead of being bitter or angry or jealous, she was ecstatic! She was absolutely thrilled that her friend had found “true love,” and she didn’t even think twice about calling off her own marriage with the man. Instead of dwelling on her own disadvantage, she was happy for her best friend!
Now, you may ask, what on earth does this have to do with the Bible? The answer’s easy- Romans 12:15a. This verse says to “Rejoice with those who rejoice (ESV).” That’s a command, sisters, and I think it’s one that can be easily overlooked. Because, if we really think about it, how often are we happy for our fellow Christians, especially when something good happens to them at your expense? When they get something that you really wanted in the first place? (This seems to also tie into covetousness- an action that we are specifically told not to take part in. But it’s not necessarily always covetousness- it can be any number of things.)
Sisters- I am as guilty of this as anyone. I let my personal desires and grudges get in the way of sharing my fellow Christians’ joy. And that is not okay. It detracts from the unity of the church when we let things come between us and our brothers and sisters in Christ. To achieve full compatibility to do the Lord’s work, we must be completely unified, and nothing says unity better than if we are all on the same page in our emotions. Like 1 Corinthians 12:26says, “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” That’s how we fully support each other, sisters. Nothing shows support more than that contagious excitement or the sorrow everyone feels with you.
And I know that’s really hard sometimes. Sometimes, our first reaction may be jealousy at someone else’s good fortune. Or maybe we’re just annoyed at how happy they are and how much they talk about it all the time- believe me, I’ve been there.
Have you ever heard the phrase “if you can’t beat them, join them”? You can apply that mentality here. If you’re happy about something, nothing can damper your excitement. And honestly, it’s much more fun to join in on the excitement than to let it bother you. Easier said than done, but sometimes a little bit of new perspective can make you a whole lot happier too.
Sisters, this week, let’s make sure we show our fellow Christians that we feel with them and that they are not alone. Let’s be happy for each other!
Friday, July 4, 2014
Lessons From A First-Time Temporary Missionary -Kat
Hello ladies!
I just got back from a trip to Honduras. My mission team worked with Mission UpReach on a medical brigade to help further the efforts of their local church planting team. Going into the trip, I was so excited to finally serve on a mission trip and I was looking forward to helping people. But to say that my standards were overshot is a serious understatement; I was blessed beyond measure this week. As the week went on, I started to realize how many things I was learning about myself, about other people and about how God works through and for us. I started writing things down and I decided to share these all with you. While some of these are pretty well focused on mission work in general, I firmly believe most (if not all) of these can be applied throughout life. I would encourage you all to take what I have to say with a grain of salt because these are my opinions and the things I have experienced and learned about myself. I do hope these words of advice are helpful and encourage each and every one of you.
Lesson 1
What you get out of it is what you put into it. No matter what it is you’re doing, your attitude is half of the experience. Here's the secret: every situation will be whatever you allow yourself to think the situation is. I saw a whole lot of people excited to serve this week, and even through illness and exhaustion they thoroughly enjoyed what they did. On the flip hand, I saw people who complained about several things and what it boiled down to was their attitude and nothing else.
Lesson 2
Patience and a long-term outlook are crucial. To get things done, you have to know (even if it's in very few details) where you're going. You have to have an idea of what your single, tiny action will do in the long run before you can appreciate how important it is. And sometimes it takes patience to think ahead that way. It's pretty easy for me to say, "That's a good goal, but it can't be achieved for another three years so I can wait a little longer to work on it." But the truth is, I need to work on it now. I need the patience and foreknowledge to stick to my plan when the going gets tough.
Lesson 3
(This one is a huge lesson for me. I won't explain why, but just know as you read this how hard it is for me to accept this particular lesson.)
You do not need to be afraid. The thing is, God can get you through any and every thing you encounter. There's not a thing in the world He can't protect you from. Will he always protect you? No. "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar,.. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you O king, that we will not serve your gods..'" (emphasis added. Daniel 3: 16-18, ESV) Truthfully, many have died for Christ's sake and many more will die before the world has come to an end. No matter what happens to you, God is the one in control. On this particular trip many of us were worried about our health; and many of us did end up getting sick. But God protected us and ensured we made it to our destination alright and he certainly kept us healthy enough to do the work His kingdom needed of us. There was no need to be afraid, and praise God for that! "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV)
Lesson 4
It's okay to not know people. Growing up, I've struggled a lot with social anxiety and I have never been comfortable in settings with new groups. The last several months I have been so afraid of what lies ahead for me when I get out into the real world. I've been afraid to meet new people and I've been afraid that I may not be able to handle the situations I have to face in the coming years. But this trip really taught me that it is perfectly okay to not know people. It's okay to make friends and meet people. It's okay to have a conversation with people you have next to nothing in common with. It's okay to make friends with someone much older than you. In fact, you will be blessed with those kinds of relationships.
Due to recent circumstances, I've been striving to understand what it means to be a peacemaker and I've been trying to incorporate that into my life. This trip to Honduras really put that into perspective for me. I learned that being a peacemaker sometimes means learning to be the "Wild Card." You have to get comfortable doing things you've never done before, and even doing things you may not like to do. You have to get comfortable with all types of people. We won't always be best friends with every single person we meet. But sometimes being a peacemaker simply means you're flexible and you're able to bend a little bit to allow for all different personalities to be heard.
Lesson 4.5
(Because it's related, but a separate lesson!)
Each person is their own beautiful individual. There seems to be so many standards placed on people (men and women alike.) nowadays. Many people believe they should strive for these standards, but that belief is completely fabricated and it's not worth the work. A developed character is worth so much more than a pristinely make-uped face or a perfectly sculpted set of abs. That "standard" we think is out there doesn't really exist; we have to work to stop forcing it on ourselves.
Lesson 5
It is so weird being the foreigner and sometimes no matter how hard you try to communicate, you still feel like you're being rude. You have to learn from that. If I had a dime for all the times I've heard people complain about someone else not speaking their language, I'd have quite the stash of coins. Next time you come into contact with someone at home (for me, that would be home in the United States) who doesn't speak the native language (English is most common here..) Please, please, please remember not to be rude to them just because they're struggling to learn the language. And please don't sit back and let others be rude to them because of it! You have to realize how hard it is to move yourself to a new country in hopes of a better life and yet you find yourself isolated because you don't speak "good enough English" for other people to give you the time of day. That feeling can cause people to decide not to learn the language anymore, but we all need to communicate in some way or another. Just be mindful of other peoples' struggles.
Lesson 6
(Almost done, you guys!!)
It is really great to try new things. My daring spirit isn't usually very permanent: it likes to come and go as it pleases. But it's really thrilling to try new things most of the time. Be it food, movie genre, book, the type of friend you make, what you do with your Friday night.... it's just really nice to try things. Don't be afraid to go for it!
Lesson 7
Last, but certainly not least.....
As difficult as it is for you, you absolutely need to work on yourself. You have to learn not to rely on other people all the time. Don't create within yourself an indestructable heart, but really you need to learn how to be okay with yourself. Physically, mentally, spiritually, socially.... there are so many different aspects of yourself but you have to work on each one in its time so that when the time comes to be on your own, you know who you are. When you start looking for a man or woman to live out the rest of your life with, you will know what parts of yourself you need to find "counterweights" for in your partner. You really need to give yourself more credit and start to love yourself for who you are. After all, God loves you; why shouldn't you love you?
I pray, as always, that these words have been just as much a benefit to you readers as they are to me as a writer. I welcome comments as always, and I apologize if this post is longer than normal.
Love always,
Kat
"'Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'" Matthew 28:19-20
What So Proudly We Hail -Mia
Hi friends!
Do you know what today is? That’s right- the Fourth of July! Independence Day! There will be barbeques and family reunions and fireworks! Yeah- this is the one day a year when we go all out with the red, white, and blue. Flags will be flying everywhere, the radio stations will be playing the national anthem… Today, it’s pretty clear that all Americans are PROUD to be Americans!
But if you visited America, say, in a couple of weeks, it wouldn’t nearly be the same. Sure, there are some flags around, and we don’t exactly shun wearing the colors red, white, and blue. But that spirit… the patriotic “Go America!” spirit just isn’t really there. Or at least, it’s definitely not as prominent as it is on the Fourth.
Sisters, I’m sure you already know that patriotism is kind of my soapbox… So I’m going to try not to talk (and/or rant) about that today. Instead, I found a different lesson to be learned from the U.S.A.’s birthday. Today, I want to talk about that loss of spirit.
I don’t know what it is about these holidays that get everyone so fired up- Fourth of July, Halloween, Christmas… When these dates roll around every year, people get so excited. They get in the mood! They want to celebrate, and some go all out! The days building up to the holiday are filled with preparation and excitement, all leading up to that day… And then, after the festivities are over and the holiday is past, the excitement is completely gone- almost as if it were never there in the first place. The memories are in place, but life gets back to normal, and that excitement is forgotten, until the next holiday comes along.
And you know what, sisters? I think we can be the same way about events at church. When a youth rally or a ladies day or church camp is coming, we get so excited! We go to that event and hear talented speakers and experience amazing fellowship with our fellow Christians, and we’re on fire for God! If you’re anything like me, after one of those events, I want to go shout Scripture from the rooftops or something like that. I feel like there’s absolutely no limit on what I can do in service to God, and I want to do it all, and-
And then regular life catches up. And that fire? It dies down. It might even go out completely. We slowly slip back into our normal routines, and we forget about that zeal we had to spread God’s word and do those good works. Until the next event comes around- and then we’re back on fire for God for another few days. And then… it dies down once again. I’m sure you’ve experienced the cycle at some point in your life- I know I have.
And it’s not right, sisters. Titus 2:14 tells us that God wants his people to be “zealous for good works (ESV),” and since our goal in life is to please God, we should all strive to be zealous and not lose that willingness and eagerness to do God’s work. But now that we’ve established that, we’re stuck with the problem of what to do about it. How do we stay zealous?
Sisters, I struggle with this a lot on a daily basis. I know from personal experience whatever “answers” one gives to this question are very hard answers to apply to life and to live by. But I believe if we ask ourselves two questions, we can identify the problem. And then the solution should be a lot easier to handle.
Here’s the first question: Why don’t we stay zealous? For me, the answer is simple- normal life gets to us all after a while. The world can bog us down; we see the evil out there daily, and it can get discouraging sometimes. Life can easily zap us of the energy needed to maintain that zeal, and once that energy is fading, it’s hard to muster up enough to keep going full-force for the Lord.
I know I’ve said it about a thousand times, but that’s what your Christian sisters- and brothers- are here for, ladies! Galatians 6:2- “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (ESV).” We lean on each other for support, and together, we’re strong enough to keep the world from dragging us down! Like the verse says- this is the best way to keep up that zeal; we can fulfill the law of Christ by helping each other stay focused and eager.
And this is the second question: What makes us zealous? What is it at all of those youth rallies and ladies days and church camps that get us so fired up in the first place? Again, I believe Christian fellowship plays a big role. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a whole crowd of Christians all in one place at one time. But there are other factors too- hearing God’s Word is a big one. Speakers can inspire us like nothing else. Also, after a church event, I often hear many people commenting on the singing- on how beautiful and uplifting it was. Once, I heard a woman comment that she expected Heaven to sound somewhat like how the singing had that evening. Praising God is a powerful thing, sisters.
All of these things play a part in filling us with zeal. We can’t do these things twenty-four seven, but logically, the more we surround ourselves with them, the easier it will be to maintain zeal.
But it’s not just that- I’ve found that to keep that fire burning for the Lord for a long time, it takes a little bit of personal effort too. Whenever I’m feeling like that fire is dying, I like to take a few moments and sort through my priorities. Once I re-examine my life and ponder all of that philosophical stuff for a while, I find it’s a little easier to see the big picture a bit more clearly.
Of course, there is no easy answer or fast solution. I can only offer suggestions. But I’m willing to bet that if we (myself included) turned to the Bible a little more often, it would make everything just a little easier.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the Fourth of July, sisters! Have fun and see lots of fireworks!
Let’s try to keep the fire burning for the Lord!
Mia
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Confessions of a Bumbling Bee -Kat
Hello my lovelies!
I'll be honest. I have tried to start (or thought about starting) at least four different blog posts. I started writing one for last week and never got to finishing what I'd started. I have been so busy. And the issue is that I have gotten to the point where I'm so busy I don't feel like I'm getting anything done; like I'm being productive. I have letters to write, videos to throw together because I said I'd do them, books to read, items to sew, blog posts to write, shopping to do, work to do, chores around the house...... Do I really need to say more?
When I get to feeling like I have one thing under wraps, four other things pop up, wave their hands and say, "Yoo hoo, you forgot something!" All I want is to live with purpose. So why do I feel like I'm on a treadmill?
Sincerely, this is usually where I'd go into the answer and some uplifting message about "If you fix ____ everything will work out!"but right now, I'm caught up in it. For those of you who've spent a decent amount of time at the beach you probably know the feeling. Getting knocked off your feet by the ocean current is scary. Once in it, there is quite literally nothing you can do but wait the wave out. But in the middle of that moment, your body panics and starts to flail around desperately seeking to save itself and put itself upright. The danger with that is you can lose sight of which way is up and end up drowning.
With everything that I am, I want to keep working. To keep flailing around hoping that I can catch a grip on something to help steady me. But the issue is I'm almost certain I'll catch a grip on the wrong thing. I feel like the "easy" answer is to wait it out, but in practice I don't know that I can afford to just sit and wait. More often than not, nothing ever happens for a passive person; they're too afraid to be bold so they sit and twiddle their thumbs until something happens. I can't live that way. But being proactive has put me in a situation where I feel like I can't manage what's on my plate.
I am in need of guidance and prayer. To whoever is reading my words, I'd be greatly appreciative of advice. I love you sisters, so much more than you know!
God bless,
Kat
“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” C.S. Lewis
I'll be honest. I have tried to start (or thought about starting) at least four different blog posts. I started writing one for last week and never got to finishing what I'd started. I have been so busy. And the issue is that I have gotten to the point where I'm so busy I don't feel like I'm getting anything done; like I'm being productive. I have letters to write, videos to throw together because I said I'd do them, books to read, items to sew, blog posts to write, shopping to do, work to do, chores around the house...... Do I really need to say more?
When I get to feeling like I have one thing under wraps, four other things pop up, wave their hands and say, "Yoo hoo, you forgot something!" All I want is to live with purpose. So why do I feel like I'm on a treadmill?
Sincerely, this is usually where I'd go into the answer and some uplifting message about "If you fix ____ everything will work out!"but right now, I'm caught up in it. For those of you who've spent a decent amount of time at the beach you probably know the feeling. Getting knocked off your feet by the ocean current is scary. Once in it, there is quite literally nothing you can do but wait the wave out. But in the middle of that moment, your body panics and starts to flail around desperately seeking to save itself and put itself upright. The danger with that is you can lose sight of which way is up and end up drowning.
With everything that I am, I want to keep working. To keep flailing around hoping that I can catch a grip on something to help steady me. But the issue is I'm almost certain I'll catch a grip on the wrong thing. I feel like the "easy" answer is to wait it out, but in practice I don't know that I can afford to just sit and wait. More often than not, nothing ever happens for a passive person; they're too afraid to be bold so they sit and twiddle their thumbs until something happens. I can't live that way. But being proactive has put me in a situation where I feel like I can't manage what's on my plate.
I am in need of guidance and prayer. To whoever is reading my words, I'd be greatly appreciative of advice. I love you sisters, so much more than you know!
God bless,
Kat
“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” C.S. Lewis
Monday, June 9, 2014
Mission: Possible -Mia
Hi friends!
I hope you’ve been having a great start to the summer! I just- literally a few hours ago- got home from a mission trip to Anguilla (in the British West Indies), and even though I’m exhausted (going through airport security and immigration three times in a day will do that to you), the trip was well worth it. I can’t even tell you how spiritually uplifting it was just for us on the mission team- and we weren’t even the ones being evangelized! If you’ve never been on a mission trip, I definitely recommend it! This trip was honestly one of the best things I have ever done. It’s utterly amazing how many friendly and welcoming people you can meet- especially in the Caribbean. Everyone says hello, even to random foreigners, and everyone is smiling almost all the time. The whole time I was there, I never met a stranger.
And you know what the best part of it was? No one was afraid to talk about the Bible. Even the non-Christians on the island would discuss spiritual matters freely- in fact, they liked it! Of course, they would talk about anything else just as freely, but the Bible was not a topic to be avoided. Sisters, that amazes me. And the fact that it is so amazing strikes me as very sad.
Why aren’t we the same way? I’m this way often too- we want to talk about almost anything but God’s Word. We can discuss TV shows or music or basketball all day long, but we tend to change the subject when someone brings up the Scriptures. Now, I know we can’t talk about the Bible all the time and never speak of anything else, but why do we get so nervous in Biblical discussions?
Oftentimes, it’s not because we’re trying to hide our Christianity. In Matthew 10:32, we are told to proclaim Jesus before men in order for Him to proclaim us before the Father. If someone asked you if you were a Christian, you would most likely confidently respond “yes” right away. We’re all pretty proud of our Christianity, ladies; I don’t think that’s the problem. So what is the problem?
Are we afraid of being rejected by our friends? I’ll be frank here- if they hate the very idea of your being a Christian, then they aren’t worth your friendship. But chances are, even if they aren’t a Christian themselves, they’re probably okay with at least tolerating the fact that you are. And we know that, sisters.
Are we afraid that we don’t know enough to answer any questions our friends might have? We have Google at our fingertips. Even if we don’t know the answer and can’t find someone who does, we can pull out our phone and have the answer within minutes. Again, I don’t believe that’s the issue.
Now, I may be wrong about this, but I think it’s just because we never know how to work the Bible into everyday discussion. The Bible is a serious subject, and most of the time, we don’t have serious conversations with our friends. We have light, funny, casual conversations, and it’s very hard to transfer from silly to sober. That’s a very awkward transition, and maybe sometimes (I’ve been guilty of this myself) we might be worried we will bore our friends. Humor and silliness is entertaining, and sometimes seriousness can definitely take some of the excitement away.
But the Bible is anything but boring, sisters! When you think about it, the Bible has everything a good obsess-worthy book or movie has! You want action? Check out the accounts of Joshua, Samson, or the judge Ehud. King David himself spent a lot of time in battle! You like romance? Ever heard of the story of Ruth? Is drama your style? The story of David and Bathsheba is soap-opera worthy. Do you like the inspirational stories about rising from the bottom to the top? Check out the story of Joseph. There are so many different topics covered, and they most certainly ARE NOT BORING!
The thing is, we keep waiting for the right time to introduce the Bible into the conversation. And usually, the more we wait, the farther away the conversation gets from the Bible. When it comes to the Bible, we should never wait, sisters. With anything Spiritual, the right time is always RIGHT NOW. Whether it’s talking to your friends about the Bible or getting baptized, the longer we wait, the harder it is to do. The “right time” rarely comes on its own.
We don’t know how much time we have left, ladies. If we just keep waiting, we may miss the many opportunities we already have. The Bible is more important than all of the other subjects to talk about out there, and it’s urgent to get the Word out. I know we are often busy and rushing from place to place, and if we do it right, conversations about the Bible are deep and long. But we should always make time for the Bible, sisters.
That’s the thing about the islands. The people there always have time for the Bible, and they understand that the Scriptures are important enough to replace other conversation. We shouldn’t mind to talk about the Bible instead of other things. The conversation may be longer and not as light or casual, but it may be the most important conversation you’ll ever have.
This week, let’s not be afraid to shift the conversation to Christ. You can stop waiting for the right time- it’s here; it’s now!
Just keep calm and jump in!
Mia
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